Under Golden (Heavy) Yokes

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(Matthew 11:6) And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.

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That statement concluded Jesus' reply to John the Baptist's inquiry. John was in Herod's prison and sinking, suffocating below the weight of his doubts. In context, Jesus' reply is rich in confounding mystery: If Jesus is the Messiah, the long-awaited Christ, then no wonder the blind came to see, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, and the deaf heard. But why did Jesus also leave John--His own cousin--in Herod's custody, only to be later executed as a drunken party favor (14:19)? In Jesus' supreme confidence, He praised John's wisdom and works (11:19). With even more shocking confidence, Jesus called Jehovah His Father and said that God gave Him all things--and that if anyone (like John) who follows Him will carry light yokes and find rest for their souls (11:25-30). Jesus' words are more world-spinning than alcohol.

A (Personal)

Does Jesus offend me? Do His words "throw me and my schemes into ruin"? That is the Greek meaning of offense--skandalizo. If His words don't wholly disrupt and ruin my ambitions, then I've not yet heard Him. If I've learned to wholly receive His words so I take His yoke and learn from Him (11:29), then I am truly blessed ... I'll find rest for my soul. Why? Because His ambitions for my life are always infinitely better than my ambitions, even if--in confounding mystery--He leaves me in jail.

A (Psychological)

In the world of Batterer Interventions, where perpetrators of domestic and intimate-partner violence receive therapy, some clinicians teach the "Platinum Rule." It's a twist of Jesus' words (often called Golden Rule): "Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them" (7:12). The Platinum Rule (often cited as though they'd created a better, more valuable rule than what Jesus said) is "Do for others what they would like you to do for them." It's a good intervention, but unfortunately it demonstrates being offended by Jesus. Trying to improve Jesus' words this way only betrays an ignorance of the biblical context--the platinum concept is included in the context of Jesus' words. This serves as a good reminder of the care we need when Jesus speaks: because of His over-arching goodness and greatness of who He is, He always owns the last words of any issue. Blessed are those who are not offended by His words.

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Lord, I choose that word deliberately. I choose to call upon You for who You are--the Lord of all things, the Good Master, whose intentions toward me are gentle, whose kindness toward me is shockingly lowly of heart. You are truly mysterious in Your greatness and safe in Your closeness. Help me to more fully hear You and know You today ... even when I don't see the purpose behind Your provisions.

Embarrassing Grace

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(Romans 1:6,7) ... You are the called of Jesus Christ ... beloved of God, called [to be] saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Although he'd not yet met these Roman men, women, or children, Paul clearly understood how God viewed them: Through Jesus, God had called (invited, welcomed, and appointed) them to be His own family. They were powerfully yet tenderly loved as only their creator could demonstrate. Despite their histories of shameful failures and varying degrees of moral maturity (and immaturity, as Paul eventually discovered once he got to know them), the Holy Spirit, nonetheless, called them saints--people perfectly clean, totally accepted, and completely dedicated to God.

A (Personal)

I'm overwhelmed by the effectiveness of Jesus' cross--that it could so alter God's view of me, too, that I, like these ancient Romans, could be not only accepted and but invited by God, but also called and embraced as His highly favored child. By discovering His love, I learn that I can safely trust Him. That trust turns into a rich and responsive love for Him. The more I love Him, and trust His love for me, the more naturally I delight in obeying Him, which leads to ever-expanding, inexhaustible discoveries of His love.

A (Psychological)

Our ability to love people, though unspeakably meager in contrast to God's ability, is still our most powerful aid for helping others. It's hard work. Dr. Huffine created Allies in Change, a program for working with society's most unlovable people--batterers of women, children (and men). This program is in contrast to shame-based models that merely use a larger hammer of power and abuse to effect behavioral changes. Allies in Change treats its clients with respect, while still holding them both responsible and accountable for their behaviors. It helps them develop moral honesty, as well as cognitive, emotional, and behavioral skills for stopping their abusive or violent behaviors. Over a century ago, theologian Alexander Maclaren was particularly insightful when he commented on this verse: "You cannot argue a man into loving God, any more than you can hammer a rosebud open... So a God who has only claims upon us will never be a God to whom we yield ourselves. A God who has love for us will be a God to whom it is blessed that we should be consecrated, and so saints."

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Lord, Your love for me is almost embarrassing--I have hope when others have none. I have joy in spite of my circumstances because I'm know that Your soon-to-be-revealed good purposes are at work for me even in tough circumstances. I have Your own peace available to me anytime simply by coming into Your presence to bask in Your love. Kings and emperors would have been jealous of all You do for me. I am so deeply grateful for You!